Envy. DCCXXXI. Wish not ill to the envious man, for the unfortunate wretch is a calamity to himself. Where is the need of your showing enmity towards him who has such an adversary at his heels? Responsibility. DCCLXXXII. I saw the souls of a man and woman dragged, the man to heaven, the woman to hell. The woman said, 'How is it that though we shared every benefit when living, they are now bearing thee to heaven, me to hell?' The man said, 'Because I practised good thoughts, words, and deeds; but thou didst worship idols.' The woman said, 'Among the living thou wast completely lord and sovereign over me—my body, life, and soul were thine; then why hast not thou taught me the reason of thy excellence, whereby thou mightest have caused excellence in me?' The woman sat in darkness, but without other affliction; the man sat in light, but covered with shame. Action. DCCXXXIII. When the earth with her quaking shall quake, On that day shall she tell out her tidings, Because thy Lord shall have inspired her. On that day shall men come forward in throngs to behold their works; And whosoever shall have wrought an atom's weight of good shall behold it, And whosoever shall have wrought an atom's weight of evil shall behold it. DCCXXXIV. Reward of Virtue. A Durwaish, in his prayer, said, 'O God! show pity towards the wicked, for on the good thou hast already bestowed mercy by having created them virtuous.' DCCXXXV. Fruition. O thou soul which art at rest! Return to thy Lord, pleased, and pleasing him. And enter thou my paradise. And his shall be a life that shall please him well, Whose clusters shall be near at hand; Eat ye and drink with healthy relish, as the meed of what ye sent on before in the days which are past. Crime Suicidal. DCCXXXVI. A king having commanded an innocent person to be put to death, he said, 'O king! seek not your own injury by venting your wrath on me.' The king asked in what manner. He replied, This torture will cease with me in an instant, and the crime thereof will remain with you for ever. The space of life passeth away, like the wind over the desert; bitterness and sweetness, deformity and beauty, all shall cease. The tyrant imagineth that he committeth violence against me; but it remaineth on his own neck, and passeth over me.' The advice was profitable to the king, who spared his life, and asked forgiveness. Justice. DCCXXXVII. Justice is so dear to the heart of Nature, that if in the last day one atom of injustice were found, the universe would shrivel like a snake-skin to cast it off for ever. Freedom. DCCXXXVIII. Up, Háfiz grace from God's high face Shy thou not hell, and trust thou well, DCCXXXIX. Virtue. Jemshíd introduced distinctions in dress, and was the first person who wore a ring upon the finger. They asked him why he had given the whole grace and ornament to the left, whilst excellence belongs to the right hand? He replied, "The right hand is completely ornamented by its own rectitude.' Feridoun commanded the Chinese embroiderers to embroider the following words on the outside of his pavilion, 'O man of prudence! do thou good to the wicked, for the virtuous are of themselves great and happy.' To-day. DCCXL. The journey of my existence is accomplished in a few days. It passes as the wind of the desert. And so, for what remains to me of the breath of life, there are two days about which I will not be anxious-the day that is yet to come, and the day that is past. If the things of this world were not based merely on conventionality, oh! then every day would be a holy festival! If it were not for these vain menaces about the future, each would be able to attain without fear the end and aim for which he longs. Art thou discreet enough for me to tell thee in the fewest words what man has been in the main? A wretched creature, kneaded with the mire of misery. He has for some days eaten a few morsels of the earth, and then lifted his feet to depart. O my heart thou wilt never penetrate the mysteries of the heavens; thou wilt never reach that |